Manchester United vs Chelsea: 3 things to watch out for

Manchester United will face Chelsea on Sunday at Old Trafford in a crucial English Premier League match. United now have 64 points from 35 matches, and are in sixth position in the league table. They are going through a lean patch though, and have lost 7 of their last 9 games, including one against city rivals Manchester City.

United have actually struggled since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was made the full-time manager in March. However, they could turn things around with a win against Chelsea on Sunday.

Chelsea have a slender lead over United and Arsenal in the league table with 66 points from 35 matches. They split points with Burnley, a team lurking in the bottom half of the table, at home last Monday.

United will break into the top four if they manage to beat the Blues on Sunday. On the other hand, a victory would strengthen Chelsea’s chances of finishing inside the top four.

Here, we take a look at the three things to watch out for in Sunday’s match.

#1 United’s sluggish defence against the wily Hazard

United’s defenders have had a torrid time in the last few matches, and would have the unenviable task of containing Eden Hazard, the Chelsea forward.

Hazard has 19 goals and 13 assists in all competitions so far, and would fancy his chances of scoring against a sluggish United back 4. Both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are on the slower side, and might struggle against Hazard’s pace and agility.

If Chelsea decide to start with Gonzalo Higuain and Pedro along with Hazard, it would be a welcome relief for the United defenders, as both Higuain and Pedro are ageing and have lost some pace over the years.

United should ponder the idea of playing Victor Lindelof as their right-back and Ashley Young as their left-back in order to counter the attacking threats from Chelsea. Lindelof is primarily a central defender, and should do well against Hazard on the right side of United’s defence.

#2 Will both Lukaku and Rashford start for United?

Both Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford should ideally start for United, as they have a knack of frequently venturing into the opposition penalty box. Chelsea have the error-prone David Luiz as one of their central defenders. As such, the Blues could struggle to stop United’s forwards from scoring.

Lukaku’s physical presence might make things difficult for the Chelsea defenders during the set-pieces. The burly striker has scored 15 goals this season, and would look to increase his tally against Chelsea.

Moreover, Rashford would be a constant menace with his opportunistic forays into the final third. Both Rashford and Llukaku should be able to trouble the likes of Luiz, Antonio Rudiger and Cezar Azpilicueta, as United would be hungry for goals on Sunday.

United might also think of playing Alexis Sanchez because of his speed, but he would be a lesser threat from set-pieces than Lukaku and Rashford. It would be interesting to see the attacking combination Solskjaer opts for in the crucial match.

#3 The performance of the young midfielders from United

United might start with the young pair of Scott McTominay and Fred alongside the experienced Paul Pogba in their three-man midfield. Moreover, Chelsea would also place N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Ross Barkley or Matteo Kovacic in their three-man midfield.

It should be an interesting battle between two sets of midfielders which could involve youngsters from the Red Devils, and that might prove to be vital in determining the outcome of the match.

Kante has played in his less preferred position throughout the season, but managed to score a goal against Burnley last Monday. On the other hand, McTominay has probably been one of the few positives for United this season and he could well start the EPL match. Fred’s ability to play through passes could come in handy as well.

All eyes, however, would be on Pogba, who got selected in PFA’s Team of the Year yesterday. He should enjoy his attacking role in the match, and would also like to dictate terms in the middle third. You cannot rule out the possibility of Pogba’s name again appearing on the scoresheet.